I came across Alastair Humphreys' website a couple of weeks ago and one of the main things that stuck with me was the idea he phrased as 'microadventures'. A microadventure is, as he describes, "Expeditions, Adventures, Journeys, Trips that are close to home, affordable, easy to organise, and designed to encourage other people to get out There and Do Stuff!". i really like the idea of doing this, especially since I have been caught up in the mundane routine of work-home-bed for the past few months with barely any reprieve.

You do not need to fly to the other side of the planet to do an expedition.You do not need to be an elite athlete, expertly trained, or rich to have an adventure.

Adventure is only a state of mind.Adventure is stretching yourself; mentally, physically or culturally. It is about doing what you do not normally do, pushing yourself hard and doing it to the best of your ability.

And if that is true then adventure is all around us, at all times. Even during hard financial times such as these. Times, I believe, when getting out into the wild are more enjoyable, invigorating and important than ever.

For sure cycle tourers have been doing these since day-1. But reading through his website has really made me look at all the cycle touring gear stored under my bed, which is equally effective for short hikes, and start thinking about what would be a nice place to cycle-hike-camp just outside of Perth. For one night I really wouldn't need to take much, although I do think my 2.5 person tent, although light weight, might be a bit overkill. Might be a good excuse to buy myself a new 1 person ultralight tent.

If you have any stories where you have spontaneously packed your bags and gone for an overnighter cycle trip somewhere out of the city just for fun, share it here... extra points for pictures!

Awesome. I read the whole thing. I wish we had some nicer areas to cycle-camp just outside of Perth. Maybe we do, I've never tried it or met anyone who has. On that note if anyone HAS done a microadventure outside of Perth, share your story here. I know I was thinking of doing a trip down south last year to one of the national parks 60km inland from Mandurah. Wake up early, take the train all the way down to Mandurah, cycle the rest, arrive by 2-3pm for some R&R, camp out in the bush, and then return home the next day. I'd also like to do some hiking too. I am usually travel somewhere to go surfing with a bunch of friends on most weekends, but this weekend was totally flat everywhere within a 2 hour drive, so it really got me thinking that I should have some preconceived back up plans for things to do on quiet weekends. I love getting out of the city and back into the bush, so I really should make an effort to do it even if it's just for one night in the Perth hills somewhere.

Awesome. I read the whole thing. I wish we had some nicer areas to cycle-camp just outside of Perth. Maybe we do, I've never tried it or met anyone who has. On that note if anyone HAS done a microadventure outside of Perth, share your story here. I know I was thinking of doing a trip down south last year to one of the national parks 60km inland from Mandurah. Wake up early, take the train all the way down to Mandurah, cycle the rest, arrive by 2-3pm for some R&R, camp out in the bush, and then return home the next day. I'd also like to do some hiking too. I am usually travel somewhere to go surfing with a bunch of friends on most weekends, but this weekend was totally flat everywhere within a 2 hour drive, so it really got me thinking that I should have some preconceived back up plans for things to do on quiet weekends. I love getting out of the city and back into the bush, so I really should make an effort to do it even if it's just for one night in the Perth hills somewhere.

You dont have to go far. The trick for me would not be to go too hard, just enjoy it.

Fat Guts, aka Karl, I hope that the sleeping bag info came through, posted this evening.

I think that every day when I go off-roading is a mi-C-road-ventures. My C roads, D roads, E roads and F'n roads like firetrails and G roads for the goat tracks.

A rider doesn't necessarily go very far around here on the C roads. Yesterday's smoky ride on the BNT, looking towards Bimberi Peak on the far left horizon,(shot at Lands End in the NW of the ACT). For a smoky evening, in the Bushfire Capital of the World, the visibility was good. Bimberi was 49.93 klicks away.

Some of the best micro-adventures that I've done have been in the Floodawangs. It's always raining in the Floodawangs, except when it's drizzling. When it isn't raining, which isn't often when I've visited ... some call the Floodawangs the Budawang Ranges.

Since before she'd even slept in a tent, my daughter has had the idea that camping inherently involves bicycles. I think she got the idea from a vehicle-supported sleep-in-the-paddock-behind-the-pub overnight tour she came on when she was 3 (riding most of the distance on the back of my bike). My family claimed one of the rooms inside the pub, but the foundations for her <sleep in tent> = <bike ride> correlation were laid.

She's wanted to go bike camping ever since. Last weekend, almost exactly 2 years since that formative tour, we made it happen.

After work on Friday, I hitched her trail-a-bike to the back of my bike, loaded my panniers up with sleeping bags and mats, loaded my backpack up with a tent and toothbrush and her backpack up with a bedtime friend, pyjamas and toothbrush, and rode out the driveway just as the sun was starting to set.

First stop was a fish-and-chip shop on the outskirts of Ballarat, about 8km from home. Very exciting riding in the building darkness... lit up like Christmas trees and sticking to side roads and service lanes.

Next stop, about 2km down the road and just past the "Welcome to Ballarat" sign, was our caravan park. It's sometimes very convenient living in a tourist town

We ate our fish and chips in the communal kitchen, then she helped me set up the tent (as well as a 5 year old helps set up a tent in the dark) before bedding down for the night.

Saturday mornings, the caravan park puts on free pancakes for breakfast. That didn't go down badly at all

Broke camp and loaded up, then followed the Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail back to town, in time to clean up and shoot off to a fairy princess birthday party.

Once bitten... I reckon we'll be doing this again in future. Maybe a little bit further than a 20km round trip. I might have a future touring partner in this one

tim

edit: added more pics. My picture host is playing nicely again

Last edited by barefoot on Tue Apr 16, 2013 4:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.

elStado - I have done a micro-adventure from Perth. Out to Toodyay, up through the Swan Valley along the Great Northern Highway (BIG trucks - but good sized shoulder and just pull over if they are really big) - to Chittering then along Julimar Road to Toodyay. Camped at Toodyay campground. Be prepared for trains. (Note to self - if a campground has an address with railway in the street name think about staying somewhere else). There is another campground further out of town - I would recommend trying that one - no idea what it's like but at least you won't have trains. Then road home next day via Clackline, Wundowie, Wooroloo, Chidlow, Parkerville, rail track through John Forrest National Park to Midland. Just an over-nighter, but it was a good trip. You could catch train up to Midland and start there.

barefoot wrote:After work on Friday, I hitched her trail-a-bike to the back of my bike, loaded my panniers up with sleeping bags and mats, loaded my backpack up with a tent and toothbrush and her backpack up with a bedtime friend, pyjamas and toothbrush, and rode out the driveway just as the sun was starting to set.

Awwww. Cutest photos and story ever. Tales like that make me want kids so I can also take them on adventures. Great work mate! Make sure you keep those photos saved somewhere safe as they'll go great on her 18th birthday photo wall.

It really goes to show how the actions of parents will influence their children. I have no doubt she'll be quite the adventurer now she's gotten the cycle touring bug!

You should send your story to Alastair Humphreys, I'm sure he'd love it too!

Sprocket wrote:You could catch train up to Midland and start there.

That's what I am thinking. I have pretty good hybrid MTB/hiking shoes too which is handy for pushing the bike up slopes or even going for short hikes away from the base camp. Only thing I might have to look into is a smaller tent, as my Tarp Tent Scarp 2 is a 2.5 person and is way bigger than what I need for one person for one night. It's a shame I don't have any friends who are into hiking or cycle touring as that would be easier to share the load and also safer just in case something went wrong (I'm always worried about snakes and spiders when going into the bush - I've had too many encounters!). I've got a few mates who are into cycling, including three of my housemates, but they are into full road racing. Don't think they'd be keen on bush bashing with their high end Bianchis for some reason.

My eldest daughter has some pretty serious physical and intellectual disabilities, which can make it difficult to give the younger one all the opportunities a kid should get. So we do our best to do as much as possible, and to make it count when we do.

FatGuts wrote:Last Satruday night we camped out in the back yard, cooked on the barbie, cooked marshmellows in the fire the wife had a shower & toilet & I was close to the beer fridge. All were happy

Backyard camping is awesome, especially if you've got a bigger block and not too close to the neighbours. Back in the day we used to have backyard campovers for our birthdays.. it was a blast and also meant my parents could get some sleep while we mucked around and laughed all night outside the house.

barefoot wrote:Thanks guys.

My eldest daughter has some pretty serious physical and intellectual disabilities, which can make it difficult to give the younger one all the opportunities a kid should get. So we do our best to do as much as possible, and to make it count when we do.

And any time on a bike does my state of wellbeing a lot of good too

tim

I just saw the updated pics. Ridiculously cute. With a positive attitude like that I think everything will work out alright.

barefoot wrote:Since before she'd even slept in a tent, my daughter has had the idea that camping inherently involves bicycles. I think she got the idea from a vehicle-supported sleep-in-the-paddock-behind-the-pub overnight tour she came on when she was 3 (riding most of the distance on the back of my bike). My family claimed one of the rooms inside the pub, but the foundations for her <sleep in tent> = <bike ride> correlation were laid.

She's wanted to go bike camping ever since. Last weekend, almost exactly 2 years since that formative tour, we made it happen.

After work on Friday, I hitched her trail-a-bike to the back of my bike, loaded my panniers up with sleeping bags and mats, loaded my backpack up with a tent and toothbrush and her backpack up with a bedtime friend, pyjamas and toothbrush, and rode out the driveway just as the sun was starting to set.

First stop was a fish-and-chip shop on the outskirts of Ballarat, about 8km from home. Very exciting riding in the building darkness... lit up like Christmas trees and sticking to side roads and service lanes.

Next stop, about 2km down the road and just past the "Welcome to Ballarat" sign, was our caravan park. It's sometimes very convenient living in a tourist town

We ate our fish and chips in the communal kitchen, then she helped me set up the tent (as well as a 5 year old helps set up a tent in the dark) before bedding down for the night.

Saturday mornings, the caravan park puts on free pancakes for breakfast. That didn't go down badly at all

Broke camp and loaded up, then followed the Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail back to town, in time to clean up and shoot off to a fairy princess birthday party.

Once bitten... I reckon we'll be doing this again in future. Maybe a little bit further than a 20km round trip. I might have a future touring partner in this one

I've found a great micro-tour is to ride one way to meet the family, particularly for a family events or a holiday. Often I cut the distance by catching the train part of the way and then cycling the balance (be it a matter of hours, a day or 2 days) - great for clearing the cobwebs. Sometimes I take a number of the kids - particularly if the journey can be accomplished on a bike path or rail trail.

bonjour wrote:I've found a great micro-tour is to ride one way to meet the family, particularly for a family events or a holiday. Often I cut the distance by catching the train part of the way and then cycling the balance (be it a matter of hours, a day or 2 days) - great for clearing the cobwebs. Sometimes I take a number of the kids - particularly if the journey can be accomplished on a bike path or rail trail.

I'm adding this in alot lately.. If we go away somewhere, try leave a day or two earlier with my bivi and mat. Great way to link up the two and get a little bit of sneaky time to yourself in.

That adventure above with your daughter barefoot is awesome. Mine just turned 3, buying a tent soon we can both fit in and do something similar.

I live on the Murray. State forest Park just over the bridge there. Too easy. We did this several times a year. Myself and three daughters. Ages 12, 9 and 8 to start with.

They'd take a dome tent to share, in the care of the oldest, a sleep mat and sleeping bag each, and I'd take my own gear and all "group gear." We'd never go far - maybe 3 1/2- 5 km max to begin with. Take the Border Collie. Go to a nice spot. Do some exploring or fishing, cook something basic on a fire, listen to the Frogmouths and Mopokes & Koalas at night. In the morning, jaffles or porridge. Ride home. All done and packed away usually by 10:00 or so. Over a couple of years, we extended the distance a little. The pattern was pretty much the same: impulsive "lets go to … for the night" and it was on.

We would go somewhere different each time and as they got older the distances got longer, but never much more than 10 km out. We were fortunate, the bushland starts as soon as one gets across the river into Victoria. We would cycle from and to our house. The kids have many fond memories of these little trips. They were never arduous, and no trouble at all to organise. We could decide to do it on a Friday afternoon after 4:00 and just do it, and have most of the rest of the weekend left over. Sometimes it was 4 of us, at other times only 2 or 3. We would occasionally do this with canoes when they got older. Mum (not a cyclist or a camper) would sometimes meet us and bring a very nice lunch on some of the longer trips.

What was great about these - the kids got to be great little campers. It was easy. It made us very close. As adults now, they have the same respect for and admiration for our natural environment. The dream is to do this with grandchildren and their folks when they come to visit. It's all still there and they remember. All three families have dogs and cycle, though the oldest grandchild is probably 3 years off riding any distance on bush tracks. He needs to be 7 or 8 carry a bit of his own stuff to fully participate in the adventure. This will happen, in 2 or 3 years.

A winter exploit along the Murray to the Mountains Rail-Trail, for 5 days. Wang - Beechworth - rest day & sightseeing - Bright - Myrtleford - Wang. We stayed in cabins overnight. It rained every night but the days were fine, if cool. Great times for all.

She looks a bit grumpy because of the long, slow climb to Beechworth but really did enjoy the travels overall

Fun throwing logs for the farmer's dog.

Riding bikes in traffic - what seems dangerous is usually safe; what seems safe is often more dangerous.

Nice ride there VeloGiro. My first semi loaded ride was similar to yours. It's in the Julia Blunden cycling book. It heads south to Torquay and then along the coast to Jan Juc and Bells beach before back on the highway to Anglesea. It loops back to Geelong a different way.

We did it again a year or so later but came back via Torquay. We stumbled across a track along the coast which we followed but regretted it in the end because it turned into rough hewn stairs which we had to carry the bikes up. No GPS back then. Was fun all the same. Buying a touring bike and doing these trips gave me a taste for touring but it was when I joined MBTC that we really got into it.